The Reykjavík Grapevine


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New Eruption Could Send Ash Over The Capital Area

Photo by Art Bicnick

The earthquake detected in the sea off Reykjanes peninsula could result in sending ash over the Reykjavík area, Vísir reports

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In the last few days, seismic activity has been detected in the sea area out of Reykjanestá and around Eldey. Halldór Geirsson, a geophysicist at the Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of Iceland, said: “There is no evidence that there is magmatic activity, apart from unusual seismic activity. But it is also possible that there is such a small amount of magma that it is not measured.”

Eldey is believed to have formed in the Reykjanes eruptions in the 13th century. Halldór adds: “This is a natural scene worth taking very seriously. There has been a eruption here in the thirteenth century. And then there was ash that settled over the capital area. If such an event were to happen again, it would be something that the capital residents would clearly notice.”

The last time volcanic ash settled over Reykjavík was during the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption. It is unlikely that an eruption in Reykjanes will lead to ash cover of those proportions, but scientists are monitoring the situation closely.